Kunoichi's demise(Aoi's story)
by Baiken
Summary: Is blood thicker then water in the ninja family? How does one death begin a new adventure? More questions and answers in this action drama! *Chapter 8 up!* (plz R and R if you have time)
1. Default Chapter

*Hangs upside down on top of the fanfic* All right, All Right this isn't Really the beginning of the fanfic I'm making, just more of a warm up writing just to see If I can still do this. Just to make it interesting it's a Lil fighting between Hitomi and Lei-Fang (A pretty familiar fight if you play DOA3 in my neighborhood)  
  
Hitomi's expression on her face told the whole story. She was anxious, this being her first actual fight in a tournament, and one of the most extreme. The Dead or Alive Tournament trademark was always the over the top fights in exotic, and dangerous locations they let competitors let loose in. The Karateka paced closer and closer to her destination, the middle of a dimly lit parking garage in Shinjuku. It may have not been the exotic, but if anyone knew there way around, a rookie mistake could lead to a quick and brutal beating. Unfortunately, Hitomi was as green as they came.  
  
"Sooo…you're my opponent eh?" The cocky veteran Lei- Fang had been sitting on top of a blue car calmly waiting for her first competitor. The Tai-Chi master had been in extra training, mostly to forget about her embarrassing lost to a ferocious Jann-Lee, and had return in her familiar Chinese dress and pumps, now in a slick blue color. "You're Hitomi aren't you? New girl?"  
  
The German Japanese girl took a few more steps, throwing off her denim jacket and tying the sleeves around her waist. "Y-Yep! You're Lei-Fang, right? I'm real glad to meet you in battle!" She chirped cheerfully, adjusting her finger cut gloves better. Lei-Fang smirked wickedly, playing with her braided hair a bit longer before jumping off the car. "Yes I know, most are grateful to fight a genius. But this…." She swung her arms gracefully, before settling them, and squaring her feet into her fighting stance. "…this is where the greetings end. I just hope you put up a fight for me."  
  
Hitomi's grin was so dangerously wide it could of reach ear to ear. Her heart was pumping and her hands trembled. THIS was the rush she was looking for; Millions watching outside, watching her do what she does best. "I understand. I stand prepared to fight!" She balled up her fists and positioned them in front of her enemy.  
  
*LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THIS IS WHERE THE THIRD DEAD OR ALIVE TOURNAMENT BEGINS! THE BATTLE WILL BEGIN IN 3….2…"*  
  
"Humph…prepared to lose…" Lei-Fang snapped smugly, declaring this to be her fight just like any other.  
  
FIGHT!  
  
"Chaa!!!" Whatever the Karateka was feeling uneasy about before the fight instantly died, as she turned slightly and ripped out a wild jump kick, aiming at the head of the Tai-Chi queen. Lei-Fang smirk failed to budge as she quickly parried the attack to the side as if it was nothing, turning to face Hitomi. When the Karate girl landed she came hard with three deadly palm strikes, each successfully dodged with Hitomi's quick sidestepping. "So you aren't some punk!" she snorted before spinning with her leg out in a dangerous roundhouse. Hitomi kept under the roundhouse by rolling to the left, and without standing up came at Lei-Fang with her own roundhouse, low and to the leg, catching the Chinese girl off balance. Lei-Fang yelped in surprise as she was suddenly on the cold floor, jumping back up and returning the favor with a blur of punch kick combinations. "I can't believe you did that!"  
  
"AH!" The Karateka was unlucky to keep crouching, her head snapping backwards from Lei-Fangs knee, instantly making her teeter backwards and go on the defensive again. It took her a while to focus after the impact, and Hitomi was being pushed back, and into a pillar in the garage. Hitomi mentally swore, knowing she had run out of room to fall back on. "And this if for that last attack!" Lei-Fang broke her barrage, and winded back. In a fluid motion she trusted both palms out and struck them into Hitomi's blocking arms. Hitomi had screamed out painfully from the impact, feeling her back smack violently into the pillar. Surprisingly the Karateka was still on two feet.  
  
"So how was that?" Lei-Fang took a step back admiring her destructive work like a piece of art.  
  
Hitomi took the cocky Tai Chi genius by surprise however, exploding out and grabbing onto the slim girls shoulders, before spinning around and placing Lei-Fang pinned onto the pillar.  
  
"ORA!!!" Within the time to breath Hitomi had hyped up and turned the tables onto Lei-Fang. She held back her left arm and throwing out a furious straight punch [Fujin] at her opponent. Lei-Fang was luckily quick to react, diving to her left to avoid the punch, crawling back up messily.  
  
Crack! The Fujin punch had created a dent, remarkably through a cement pillar. Lei-Fangs eyes went wide as she saw what she could have been the end result off, then watching Hitomi hop back and dance a bit, getting back into her stance. This wild look was sparkling in her blue eyes, and The Chinese girl had to say she was becoming a bit impressed by the new girl. "Gonna have to watch out for that one…" She stood back up regaining her balance "But now I'm going to get serious!" She barked out before engaging the Karateka again. For the few but unrelenting minutes the two fighters brutal ballet went to ever corner off the parking garage. Hitomi threw out a powerful uppercut, just to have it caught into Lei-Fangs crafty hands. "No No No" She teased before, throwing her foot directly into the incapacitated girls' stomach.  
  
"ACK!" Hitomi nearly went off her feet from the counter attack, before breaking away, and striking with multiple kicks. But Lei-Fang had finally gained the upper hand she was looking for, as if she predicted the attack she sidestepped gracefully to her right, and grabbed onto Hitomi's arm. "Too bad for you!" She declared, throwing her elbow into Hitomi's open ribs, sending the Karateka crumbling onto one knee. The Chinese girl didn't let up though, thrusting her knee up into the girl's chin, which forced Hitomi skidding on her back, nearly tumbling so she would be eating pavement! "Ah…jeez." Hitomi coughed out, not so quick to stand up this time, holding her abdomen with her hand. But once again she rushed Lei-Fang with a berserk of left and right punches. The Tai Chi genius easily dodged the onslaught with a smirk on her face, just pick and choosing which one she wanted. "There!" Lei-Fang grabbed onto the right punch that was swung at her, getting under Hitomi. And with a wicked glare she threw her foot upward into Hitomi's stomach, launching up the girls body with a vertical splits.  
  
"WOAAAAH!!"  
  
"Now the finish!" Lei-Fang timed her next attacks without flaw, keeping the poor Karateka into the air with three extra split kicks [Hikyaku] and her painful finale. Turning she used all her force to deliver the next smash with her entire back [Haiseki] The impact threw the helpless(and now bleeding) Hitomi flying forward into the blue car Lei was sitting on, bouncing a little when she first hit the car yelling a rather appropriate "SHIT!" and tumbling over it.  
  
"No…ah…not now." Hitomi laid back first in a terrible heap. She touched gently at the blood dripping on her nose as she stared up into the fizzling lights. "Have to…get up." Hitomi took a few seconds to breathe in sharply before sitting back up, using the car for leverage. Lei-Fang, confident in her victory was showing off in front of the fixed camera broadcasting the fight to the outside world. "Tai Chi is awesome!" she pleasantly squealed, ignoring the sharp pain in the side of her stomach.  
  
"No! I'm not through yet!" Hitomi yelled, stumbling from the side of the vehicle curling and uncurling her sore fists as she regained her balance. Surprised, but other wise confident, Lei-Fang turned and pointed at her broken opponent and smugly taunted her. "Useless I tell you! Your not the heroine in this fight, there isn't going to be another chance!"  
  
"I'm not going to win this if I go head to head with her again, I need one swift hit." Hitomi thought, desperately looking for a plan of attack. Lei-Fang rushed after the non moving Karateka, attacking with an elbow-knee-down elbow combination. Hitomi took the first strike, letting out a muffled yelp. Hitomi went into her plan of attack, parrying the knee with her arm and moving to the side to avoid the last attack. "You're not getting away!" Lei-Fang tried for another roundhouse confident that she had hit her mark…  
  
…But Hitomi ducked. "YES!" Before Lei-Fang could even respond Hitomi uncoiled with enough room and threw out a destructive uppercut. The impact was so hard Lei-Fang went spiraling off heels and onto the floor! "AAAYAAAH!!" The genius was not face first into the ground, stumbling to stand back up.  
  
"C'mon…get up." Hitomi had crouched, holding her left hand, setting up the Chinese girl for her all or nothing attack. It wasn't an attack her father had taught her, but something in her own arsenal, so she had to put everything she had into it. "Get up…." She kept muttering to her self, gathering all the energy she still had within her.  
  
"ow…Aaaah.." Lei-Fang stuttered in a daze after being counter attacked, The whole garage seem to be spinning around her. She rubbed her forehead, as she turned to… "W..w-what!?"  
  
"FUDO-FUJIN!!!!!" Hitomi screamed off the top of her lungs as she exploded with the force of an anti-tank rifle with a lunging punch. The desperation attack hit its target clean with a sickening *Crack!* Lei-Fang's expression of surprise and pain held for a moment. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!" After that her frail body was sent hurdling backwards, and right into a windshield of another vehicle, which she went completely through and almost into the front seat. With one last yelp the ego of Lei- Fang had shattered just like the rest of her unconscious frame.  
  
Hitomi slumped onto her knees, completely spent. The blood was still dripping from her face. The Karateka had a moment of silence to regain her bearings, then looked back at her opponent, who was obviously going nowhere. Her punch had that much of her in it that Lei-Fang had set off the alarm when she hit the car!  
  
*WHAT A COMEBACK! THE ROOKIE HITOMI PROCEEDS TO THE NEXT ROUND EVERYONE! GIVE IT UP FOR HER!!*  
  
"I…I did it…I did it!!" Hitomi hit the pavement with both hands and howled proudly for herself, falling over her back with a content smile her face, granted it hurt like hell to smile right now She did it. And she had even more to go after this one. And the weirdest thing was, she was ready for every one of them.  
  
*Now wasn't that something? Hope you don't mind Lei-Fang being a *tad* (snicker) egotistical and Hitomi a nut for fighting. I just thought it would be a good idea to exaggerate their personalities. Anyway Like I said this isn't the REAL story, just a warm up. Review if you want. ^_^ see yas!* 


	2. End

Hey! Just you're friendly neighborhood fanfic nut, Jessi. ^_^ This is where I really start the story. I was a bit miffed though and wasn't going to do it at first (points at review box…) But I couldn't let a dumb thing like that stop me. So here we go…chapter 1  
  
The sun had begun to fall on the temples in Tao, radiating fluorescent red and orange over the mountaintops. Hayate hand made finally made it up the steps of the mountain and jumped over the temple gates, scanning the area cautiously. Besides his shadow the sunset had exposed one more behind the temple for the Shinobi leader to see. He sighed, as he slowly walked to the shadow and the person behind it. "Why…did you call me out here, Kasumi?"  
  
The runaway walked from behind the temple, staring at her brother with a semi-smile. "I wanted to see you again. For months Kasumi had reluctantly became his enemy and the enemy of the whole Mugen-Tenshin clan. Every time they went looking for her, Hayate would come back with fewer men each time. She was a trained killer, her gentle persona didn't match this, but it was true.  
  
"Kasumi…you do know what I must do. Just…leave and pretend we didn't see each other."  
  
"I can't…" she said confidently, adjusting the gauntlets on her wrists. Hayate grimly faced his sister. "Headstrong as always…" They both knew this was going to lead into a fight, but what would Hayate do if he won? Could he really kill his own flesh and blood? His family? But had to move on, to defeat Omega. What if he didn't win? Would it be easier if he threw this fight and went home? How could he face his clan then?  
  
"You leave me no choice…I will not go easy on you Kasumi!" Hayate yelled in a serious tone, dashing headfirst at the runaway kunoichi. Kasumi made a playful smirk on her face, as she became prepared. "Neither will I!"  
  
" That's the runaway." a voice murmured not too far from the temple now battleground, Just a few more flats above it. "And there's Hayate-Sensai, just like Ayane-Sama said." He continued. Behind the unknown person speaking were several others dressed like him, black ninja garments with the mouths covered. "We commence the ambush then, in fourteen minutes we ambush and eliminate the target under their orders." The other ninjas silently nodded to agreement, patiently waiting for their chance to attack.  
  
The battle down below was becoming intense. Kasumi and Hayate were somewhat equal at the start, but Kasumi's unmatched speed had put Hayate on the defensive a lot easier then he would expect. The leader blocked strikes and kicks one by one, without any room for him to counter attack. "Yaaah!" The kunoichi threw a wicked roundhouse, giving Hayate the chance he needed to duck and sidestep under. The Shinobi leader went for a shin kick, which he knew his sister was going to easily dodge. Only baiting her into…  
  
"Aaaah!" He yelled out and flew upward with a right-handed uppercut, catching the other ninja off her guard and into the air. "Eeek!" Hayate heard her scream as he waited for her to land. But now Kasumi would catch her brother off guard, as she landed on both hands instead of her back, and flipped forward and into the air again, coiled at the legs. "YAAAAAAH-- !" With that the once gentle now ferocious kunoichi exploded and thrusted her feet into the surprised Hayate's chest, blasting him into the temple wall forcefully. On impact Kasumi was propelled forward, rolling back onto her feet as She saw Hayate beginning to slump down the wall. Hayate was coughing harshly after the strike, and now he felt his left arm being grabbed. "What the?" With his swear being cut off, Kasumi threw the taller ninja into the pavement face first, the tiles cracking upon his impact.  
  
Back at the taller flat the other ninja warriors couldn't help but flinch in awe, as their leader was being taken care of rather easily bye the runaway. Some couldn't' blame him, having his own sister being the target, but they knew he was more capable then he is now.  
  
"On my signal…" Toya, the squad captain whispered, the other assailants nodding again.  
  
"Brother…" Kasumi's attitude had drastically changed as she played with the yellow ribbon in her hair. She felt somewhat, cheated. Hayate was on one knee breathing sharply, his head had been pouring blood after his face met the floor. "Kasumi…" An awkward silence passed between them both, Kasumi turned walking towards the gate. "I…must go now brother, Good-AAH!!"  
  
"Kasumi!?" Hayate gasped, a blaze of light had streaked down from nowhere, slicing Kasumi in her left arm. When the light hit the ground, it showed itself as a ninja star!  
  
"Hayate-Sensai!!" the squad yelled, jumping from the higher flat of the Tao temples and down to where the other two where. The five of them had surrounded the wounded but standing kunoichi, glaring emotionless at her. Kasumi gritted her teeth tightly, clasping her right hand onto her ninjato.  
  
"Toya!" Hayate still exhausted after the fight was holding onto his ribs. "Don't worry Sensai, Ayane-Sama told us that you planned for this to happen, Now we will carry out the rest!" Toya and the rest nodded, as the inched their way towards Kasumi, closing their circle.  
  
"Ayane?"  
  
"You…set this up Brother?" the Kunoichi's monotone voice was heard. "You fooled me!"  
  
"Kasumi!?"  
  
"Attack!!" The first ninja to the left charged after Kasumi. Kasumi's instincts took over again as she slide forward past the attack, slicing her way through him easily with her ninjato unsheathed. The others growled angrily hearing one of their own falls lifelessly. "Damn you!" Another one yelled throwing a heavy punch at Kasumi. To his surprised the attack had completely missed and Kasumi had ended up behind him!  
  
"Tenchi!" Hayate yelled out desperately, seeing Kasumi easily slice through his neck and his blood spraying over as his body dropped. "two down…" Kasumi kept check in her head, going headfirst into another ninja that was blocking her way to the gate down Tao mountain. If she could get through this she could easily hide out in the forest. The crafty kunoichi blocked and parried the strikes made from the ninja in front of her. "Runaway!" the second attacker had come from the side, kicking the weapon out of Kasumi's hands successfully. With no emotion Kasumi grabbed onto the side attacks arm, throwing her whole leg over onto his neck and crashing him into the floor, making one quick jerk with her knee to snap his neck completely.  
  
Hayate couldn't believe it. Tenchi, Koji, and Tetsuo lay dead on the floor in pools of crimson. Tenchi…a good friend, Koji's girlfriend was having their first son. How could he say that her husband was now dead because of…because of his weakness? Tetsuo had a little brother and sister to take care off. "Kasumi…why…?"  
  
"Get out of my way…" Kasumi had only two more to go before she could make it downstairs. Toya exchanged jabs with her until breaking his pattern with an ax kick. Kasumi sidestepped easily and rammed her knee into his groin, hearing him scream violently. To end her attack Kasumi chopped her hand into his neck to make him double over.  
  
"Kasumi…I cant let you do this to anymore…I must…" Hayate began to slowly stand up, eyeing the blade Kasumi had dropped sticking into the ground. He stumbled over and picked it up, then marched over the fallen heading directly towards his sister. His eyes were jaded, like he wasn't him self anymore as she got nearer and nearer.  
  
Kasumi stood, poised to attack the last one in her way. She could tell he was new, his eyes were shocked from what she has seen him do, and his fighting stance has become awkward. She crouched and sprang after him, but before she got near she could feel her arm taken a hold of. Quickly turning her head the brown haired girl saw…her brother? "Brother!?"  
  
His face was cold and showed no feeling, with a hard shove he forced the ninja girl to the rail off the mountain (where they're nothing but a hard slide down), and holding the ninjato he sliced! Vertically, from top to below.  
  
Toya and the other watched in complete surprise, as a flash of light hit the chest of the runaway kunoichi. Kasumi's brown eyes became glazed over, the grip she had on her brothers clothing began to open slowly, her face had become suddenly pale. "B…brother" she muttered on her last breath…with a tear slowly sliding down her face and onto Hayates hand. And with that the kunoichi went over the side railing, motionless, and trampling down the mountain.  
  
An errie wind blew across that flat, Hayate and the other three were still silent. He had finally done it, he had finally defeated the runaway, but at what cost? Three of his men and the death of a sister, the price that you pay as the leader of a clan, he dropped the sword as he choked holding back a tear.  
  
"H..Hayate Sensai?" Toya had gotten back up, limping towards him slowly. "Should we send out a search?"  
  
"No…let her be." The ninja leader couldn't bear to have anyone find wherever she would end up confirming her death. "Get the others out of here." His cracking voice had slowly turned confident, so he wouldn't show any sign of weakness. The rookie ninja and Toya nod in agreement again, grabbing hold of the deceased and hopping away to leave the leader with his decision."  
  
"Kasumi….damn why did you make it this way?" Being alone Hayate finally let his emotions show, a streak of tears going down his face as he looked down at the bloodied ninjato. With one more deep sigh he turned and jumped to the higher flats. He could only mourn for so long. He only had one more to defeat now…the monster that was Omega. But why did Ayane send Toya's squad to aid him? Did she not believe he could hold his own…?  
  
Somewhere far away from the battle zone, one more had ended as well. Something lay in a heap of flames of carnage, burning slowly in the night. A shadow stood calmly in front of the flames, turning around and walking away from the scene. The monster that was burning…was Omega.  
  
"You are at peace now…Father." The woman said slowly as she fled the scene, also at peace with her self.  
  
To be continued… 


	3. Aoi

Now time for Jessi's super just-for-the-hell-of-it summary machine! Gives it a nice kick to the side and out comes a piece of paper Well if you've read the first chapter Kasumi and Hayate were mixing it up in Tao. But after that another rumble breaks out against Kasumi and the Mugen-Tenshin ninjas (excluding an exhausted Hayate.) After the trashing Kasumi gives the faceless wonders Hayate gets even with a mad push-and-slice to the kunoichi, sending her clear over a mountain. Da Fanz: KASUMMMIIIII!!! We shall deztroy u Hayate!(light up candles and such) Hey hey no lynching. Just keep on reading.  
  
"B…brother…"  
  
Slash!  
  
"You fooled me!"  
  
"Testuo…Tenchi…Koji…"  
  
Slice!  
  
"Kasumi!"  
  
Two days passed since the Tao incident, Hayate had left not to far from his mountainous village to mediate. But it kept replaying in his head, the carnage that happened right in front of him, unable to do anything about until it was too late. He had done his duty as a leader and terminated the runaway Kasumi, and to avenge the ones that fell perusing her. But it was just so much to bear on his soul, was he going to be haunted by his actions? He always tried to ease his pain through meditation outdoors…but could he really move on after single handily sending his sister to her demise? Grief wasn't his only inner enemy right now, he was confused on what he found just hours later. His duty to slay the mindless and destructive Omega had been completed, but it wasn't his doing. Someone else had come and destroyed the last Hanjin-Mon master. Who could off…?  
  
"Hayate…" A shadow of a girl could be seen barely in the darkness of the tree Hayate sat under. The ninja leader snapped back to his senses, sighing again has he began to respond. "Hello, Ayane…" The second-in- command and half sister of Hayate hopped out of the tree, right beside her brother.  
  
"I…just heard the news, Toya informed me back in the village." Ayane, who had left to train the day before Hayate left for Tao, looked down at the waterfall Hayate stared blankly into, sitting down next to him. "What about Genra?"  
  
Hayate could read his baby sister pretty easily. Staying away from the topic about Kasumi. But he also had bad news for her about that as well "Its confirmed that he is dead…but we have no clue who did it. Anything we could use was burned into nothing. Maybe Hayabusa got to him before we could."  
  
"Oh…" Ayane rubbed her shoulder, sighing a bit from the news. "Hayate…I'm really sorry about what happened to…"  
  
"God…" Hayate interrupted the kunoichi accidentally, rubbing his head as if he had a headache. "I…can't blame you for ordering Toya and his squad to keep an eye on me. I feel like a total failure." The hard exterior that Hayate presented cracked again, as he looked into his palm deep in thought. "I've failed as a leader, for not defeating Omega and sending so many soldiers to die…" Hayate sniffed before continuing. "And as a brother I've failed. I couldn't save Kasumi from…her fate." Hayate felt he was going to let it all out again, but he gasped lightly as he felt something slide over his palm and hold him.  
  
It was Ayane's hand. Her fingers held tight onto his hand, offering her honest support. She couldn't cry…Hayate was very unstable at the moment and she needed to be strong for him. "It's the iron code, brother. You did the right thing for the village. I understand that it must hurt for you…but you saw her again. The outcome just wasn't what you expected." Hayate tried to speak, but he couldn't find the right words. "Just remember you had to do what you had to do…and anytime you feel like you can't handle it, just remember I'm right here to comfort you." Ayane finished, tightening her grip on Hayates' large palms. Hayate closed his eyes, slowly feeling his inner pain and guilt fade. "Thank you...sis'." Hayate whispered, putting his head on her shoulders, closing his eyes as he returned to being lost in thought.  
  
"That's right Hayate…don't worry. You still have me…" Ayane thought, her sincere looked had changed oddly, into a coy smile. "And I still have you…all of you…all of my big brother to myself." She toyed with strands of Hayates' soft brown hair as her smile turned into a dangerous smirk.  
  
Shinjuku had always been a lively and active city, and it never slept during the night. It would become wilder and more exciting then, and activities that were not seen or even stayed away from during the day were just about everywhere if you looked hard enough. Besides loud music and dancing, gambling was very popular in the district, but the game was very different then cards or dice. It was street fighting. Anywhere street fighting went the music was louder, the crowds were bigger, and then action (and risks) was to the roof.  
  
"God I cant believe he won that at the last second!" Roxy, 19, Japanese-American and just another small wheel in the street fight betting ring hopped around ecstatically, scoring 3000 yen on her lucky pick against the undefeated "king" for the night. "Bam! Pow! Roxy punch!" She jumped up raising her fist in the air, imitating the same uppercut that declared Koji the winner. "I need to take some sort of martial art, being inside the circle and fighting is where the real money is." If that were the case she would be able to quit the job she currently had, not that it was anything else but money from dropping the boring thing. Roxy could hear the music fade as she walked farther away, really beginning to think it was a bad idea to park this far. The street was strangely quiet and dark. But no big thing she nervously thought, don't run into anybody and she'll be okay.  
  
"Wow oh wow did you see that fight between the Koji guy and "Raiden"?" The voice came from the left. Roxy's blue eyes widened upon hearing the deep, yet female voice. "Oh crap there around!" she thought…quickly speeding up her walking.  
  
"You said it boss." Another voice, this time male, spoke up. "That final punch sure was something."  
  
"You know a lucky someone could really cash in from the odds in that fight." The third voice, the deepest one heckled, coughing violently after. Roxy had begun to look around panicky, ditching the money into her pockets. "That biker gang from the college are here again, oh no oh no oh no…How far are they?"  
  
"Hey its our friend Roxy!" the first arrogant and cocky first spoke up again, latching her arm around Roxys' neck and dragging her scrambling body over to an alley. "What a surprise that we meet the gaijin around our neighborhood again." Roxy pushed away from the gang member, only to be surrounded by a wall and the three dark figures.  
  
"What do you want now Shinobu?" the blonde girl growled at the three of them. "Now that isn't a way to greet your friends gaijin…" The one on the left began, throwing his toothpick on the floor. He was real skinny and had a ragged look with his big sweater and pants. The shorter one on the left, also male, grinned wickedly at the surrounded Roxy. "Pockets look a bit big there, sweety. Got lucky with some cash perhaps?" His eyes were barely visible, with the huge hat on his head and all. The Japanese- American still stared defiantly at the trio, trying not to let her fear show.  
  
"I think you know how this goes down, gaijin-girl" The ringleader of the group, Shinobu inched forward, with her own deadly grin as she pushed back some of her dark long hair. "Parking in our neighborhood, walking our streets. There is a serious tax to be paid here. I think what you have is enough for now." The biker woman took her hand out her pockets and held her hand out, expecting Roxy to give it up.  
  
Roxy on the other hand, thought differently. She was smaller then the woman but she wasn't going to be punked out of her cash anymore. "Forget it!" She suddenly raised her left hand and smacked the biker in her face defiantly. "Oh my god." She gasped suddenly at what she done, and realizing she had just started a confrontation with the gang. Shinobu growled slowly, staring angrily before smirking a second later. "Oh you think your something don't you, college girl?" The biker snapped her fingers. " Ikari…let me see that interesting item we found a few minutes ago."  
  
Roxy trembled as she looked over Shinobu's shoulder to see her grab a long metal chain from her crony, hearing the other too snicker as well. "Big mistake gaijin…now I'm going to have to make this difficult for you."  
  
"I'm gonna die I'm gonna die I'm gonna AAAAH!" Roxy shrieked as she braced her arms over her face, waiting grimly for the attack…  
  
"HEY ASSHOLES!"  
  
The trio and Roxy turned around surprised. "Beat it if you know what's good for yo-…what the hell?" Ikari stopped suddenly, somewhat confused from what stood on the other side of them.  
  
"Leave her alone…" What stood in front of them seemed like it would fall apart any second. The slim person were covered in bandages on the arms and bare legs, and the hair covered up the eyes. The only thing the mysterious person was wearing was a large dark blue jacket.  
  
"What…what do we do about HER boss?" The short one asked. Shinobu sneered dangerously at the new girl, wrapping the chain around her right hand. "What's this? Did the biggest dumbass for girl's convention just finish?"  
  
" I don't feel like having to waste you three so I'll say it one last time…BACK OFF!" Her tone was darker, and angrier then before.  
  
"Waste us? You got to be joking me. Ikari. Jin. Get rid of this bitch for me."  
  
" Boss are you sure we have to get rid of her…Something about her look is quite attractive. Don't you agree Jin?" The taller man chuckled, walking closer to the mysterious girl. Jin had a smirk on his face as well as he walked closer "Maybe we don't have to kill her after all this."  
  
"What are you doing!? Get out of here!" Roxy yelled at the top of her lungs, only to be slapped violently by Shinobu. "Shut up! You get to see a show before your beating so just keep quiet."  
  
The ragged person growled loudly, taking off headfirst into the gang. "Go to hell!" She screamed before throwing a wild punch, literally plowing the attack into the short gang member's face and sending the yelling man off his feet and onto the floor.  
  
"You bitch!" Ikari had flipped out his knife, before taking a stab at the girl's jacket. Like nothing she moved out the way, and as she gritted her teeth she kicked out the attacks leg, sending him on his knees.  
  
"Ah!…Oh SH!" He couldn't finish his swear, since his face had now become part of the brick wall on the side because of the persons merciless roundhouse into the back of his head. Jin stood up, eyeing the crimson pouring from his partners face and then back to the slim aggressor, filling up with rage. With a loud shout he tried to overpower the ruthless girl with a clothesline.  
  
"JIN SHE DUCKED!'  
  
"Wha-AAAAHH!!" Jin's blood curdling scream filled the entire alley. After ducking the ragged person had took the knife on the ground and stabbed it deep into his now bleeding kneecap. To continue her assault she stood up and kicked the blade in, and with a sneer she pushed his body face first into the wall.  
  
"B..boss.." The short man whimpered as he slumped motionless near the other bleeding heap on the floor.  
  
Shinobu's mouth was wide open and her eyes were completely shocked. In just seconds her gang members were crippled bodies right in front of her. Roxy stared in complete awe on what the person had done to the trio. " Jin! Ikari!…What the hell are you?" she spat out. In return the attacker lunged at the biker with a series of punches. She wasn't going to go down as easy as they were, on the third punch she parried and lunged out her leg with a heavy kick to the waist. The woman blocked easily, but she screamed harshly from the stinging pain in her legs, sending her to crouch over. She regained her balance quickly, avoiding a deadly boot that was coming for her face by rolling backwards.  
  
"What's the matter, running low on your little heroine adrenaline?" The only standing gang member taunted, closing in on her. "Shut up!" The mysterious girl had entered a different stance then her unpolished one, perfectly. As if she done it before…before when she…  
  
*I will win this battle! *  
  
Stop…not again.  
  
*You dug your own grave…now die in it! *  
  
Why? Why am she doing this? She stared at her trembling hands awkwardly.  
  
*Your pathetic! *  
  
"Ah…AAAAAHH!!!" Out of no where the bandaged woman howled out in pain, holding her head as she started to stumble around. Surprised, but not willing to give up this moment to attack, Shinobu socked the head startled girl in the the pit of her stomach. The girl choked violently, and fell onto one knee, still holding her head, trembling in pain.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you? No matter your dead meat now!" The biker sadistically claimed, holding up the fist wrapped around in the heavy chain, ready to bash her opponent's head into oblivion.  
  
"TAKE THIS!!" Shinobu didn't have enough time to react, as she was nailed from above from a aluminum trash can, threw by Roxy!" The gang member yelped in pain, stumbling to the side, but still staying on her feet. "You bitch I'll…"  
  
"EEYYYAAAAHH!!" Shinobu's eyes lit up as she turned back to see the raising girl. In a blur before the trash can fell from ricocheting off her head, the mysterious girl jumped out of her unbuttoned jacket with her arm coiled. Just as the can reached face level for Shinobu…  
  
*C-rack! * The ragged lunged a vicious uppercut, right into the trash can, which slammed unforgivably into the final gang members face. " Holy crap!" She could hear Roxy scream, watching the biker stand motionless for a second. As the trash can fell the bleeding Shinobu also fell over, without making another sound.  
  
The unknown woman spat rudely, finishing up with the last punk. With a simple glance over to Roxy, she started to walk away, only to crumbling over in just a few steps. "Oh no! Wait!" Roxy ran over to the one that rescued her, turning her over and shaking her. The blonde girl nearly screamed at what she saw, under the jacket the girl had been terribly scared, nearly chest to stomach. "OH my god! Are you okay?"  
  
"D-don't worry about me. Just get out of here, please."  
  
"No way that's happening." Having been rescued, Roxy couldn't help but aid the total stranger that saved her from the gang. She hoisted her back up onto her feet and got under her arm, helping the stranger walk to her car. A silence passed between the two as the turned the corner from the now silent alley.  
  
"Thanks…for helping me out back there." Roxy said.  
  
"Thanks for helping me out too." The stranger replied softly, completely spent.  
  
"What's your name anyway?" The scarred girl was silent for a moment, taking a deep breathe. She couldn't drag someone she just met into her problems. If everyone wanted "Her" dead…then so be it.  
  
"…Aoi."  
  
To Be Continued 


	4. Morning

Summary, Summary, Summary! *kicks the instant-summary machine*….*kick kick kick!*  
  
Kitsune: ow, ow okay! *pokes his body out the machine* Alright, Hayate and Ayane have a nice chit chat together, Gang members pick on the Japanese-American Roxy, and a mysterious woman going by the name of Aoi tears them all a new hole.  
  
Thank you n_n. Now enjoy the next chapter plz.  
  
"Shigen,Wakaba,Kagami. Each one of you picks a side of the forest to sweep through then report back. Be through, but quick…" Toya ordered his current squad. It was one in the morning and it was their turn to make the routine rounds. The three nodded quickly and split off. Toya sighed lightly to himself, watching his new group go reminded him of his last, he wanted to be more protective of his new men then his last.  
  
Wakaba took north side, the darkest side, of the forest, hopping from one branch to another. Aside from hearing the noises of nocturnal animals, the sweep was normal…  
  
"!?" Wakaba stopped in his tracks, jumping off the tree and landing onto the ground. Something new had reached his ears…it was like a low cackling. Instinctively, the solider reached behind his blade, stalking quietly forward.  
  
"Who's there?" he called out in front of him, looking left to right. Another low snicker, as he stopped to scan the area. "Should I get to Toya sensei to tell him this or…GCK!"  
  
"Where's Wakaba? A routine sweep only takes a few minutes" The squad leader Toya stood impatiently. The other two had returned at least 3 minutes now. "What could be taking him so…"  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" A loud desperate shriek blew into the air. The three surprised ninjas took initiative and sprang into the dark woods. "Wakaba!" Toya yelled as he dashed on foot, Shigen and Kagami went through the branches. The tree stopped where they heard the scream, staring in disbelief at the disfigured body of one of their own. "WAKABA!" the squad leader kneeled over the body, the neck was broke in what seem like six places. The ninja became fueled with anger, smashing his fist into the dirt harshly before standing up. "COME OUT YOU BASTARD!"  
  
The figure walked into the ninja's view, it was like a moving shadow because it was still dark. But they could see the twisted smile on the mysterious person's face, juggling the fallen warriors' weapon. "heh…hehehhehheh…." It went, before throwing the blade into the dead ninja's chest. Shigen and Kagami took a step back in shock, But Toya growled angrily at this persons disrespect. "Damn you! Kagami, Shigen, attack! The two let out their own growl before running at the shadow, ninjato's drawn.  
  
With a raise of an arm the shadow pointed at the two attackers coming from the air with a maniacal grin. With another wicked laugh the arm started to shake oddly.  
  
"Die!!" The two yelled as they were coming down with their weapons. At a split second the arm went had "opened up" numerous pores, and surprisingly, wires had shot out at incredible speed. The two yelled in shock, as the many wires impaled the both of them, keeping them suspended in the air. Some the wires came out so fast that it had cleanly separated Kagami's arm from the rest of his body.  
  
"Shigen! Kagami!" Toya screamed watching the two struggles and strain to survive above him. "AAAHAHAHAHAHAA!" The mysterious thing roared, dangling the two into the air like a sick puppet show. "And now the finale" the cold machine like voice was heard. "Toya..Toya!!" Shigen struggled to speak. Suddenly a sound would keep all 4 of them silent, tiny red rings came from the arm and up the wires towards the two impaled ninjas.  
  
"Die…" the shadow uttered, as the red rings went into the soldiers that screamed one last time, before a loud explosion erupted, ending their lives. Toya fell over backwards from the blast, watching in horror two charred bodies above him. After the blast the wires retreated quickly out of them and back into the unknown attacks arm. The lone squad leader covered his body with his arms as the once dangling men became falling corpses, falling right on top of him. "Aaaaah!!"  
  
The figure stalked forward at burning pile, watching the unlucky man under it suffer and struggle to get out. The silent killer pointed her arm forward, quickly getting Toya's attention.  
  
"What…what the hell are you?" Toya pleaded, feeling his skin burn from under the two fiery bodies.  
  
"Funny…Don't see a lot of dead people ask questions." The machine- like voice answered, before cackling crazily once more. Toya's eyes went wide as he saw the holes open up again. "NOOOO!!!"  
  
"Ugh…" Aoi stirred in her sleep, wincing painfully. It was the same pain on her chest that woke her up before, and the sunlight that had reached her face. Slowly opening them she let out a small yawn, sitting up as she rubbed her dazed brown eyes. To her surprise she could really remember what took place or how she got here. Hearing the sound of water running she rubbed her left arm, which was unfortunately sore.  
  
"Eta!" She yelped, gritting her teeth. After the pain was over she took a look around area, thinking it would jog her memory. It was a small, very messy place, lots of clothes, magazines, and…beef noodle cups?  
  
"Oh. So "sleeping warrior queen" woke up." Aoi heared a voice speak. Following it a blonde girl with a bandana on her head and a tooth brush in her hand. Now it was coming back to her, the street fight with the gang, and the girl that helped her out. "W-wha?" Aoi could only stutter, still waking up from what she felt could have been days of sleeping.  
  
"That means you Aoi." Roxy stuck the toothbrush in her mouth and started to scrub, walking over to the small refrigerator. "Oh…thanks again for helping me out Shinobu and those guys. They been hassling me for a while and everything."  
  
"Where are we?" Aoi asked, getting off the couch and already stepping into something she didn't really want to see.  
  
"Just my cozy little apartment" Roxy spat the toothpaste foam in the kitchen sink. "I kind of dig the lived in style don't you?" Aoi took a few more careful steps, scanning around, deciding to voice her opinion of the room in three simple-yet-sarcastic words.  
  
"It's a hole."  
  
"Hah. What do you expect on a cram school student's salary?" Roxy giggled, pouring a cup of water into her mouth, gargling and spitting it back out. "I'm sure it's not what your not custom too is it farm girl?" Aoi raised a brow in question, toying with one of the many annoying split ends in her hair. "Farm girl?"  
  
"Oh it is just written all over you!" Roxy walked over to the taller girl, scratching the back of her head. "You have some serious heat in your punches. What's your secret? Scrubbing floors? Lifting crops? Tipping cows?"  
  
Aoi was actually relieved to see something that wasn't so depressing, no mater how odd the girl seems to be. She chuckled lightly and humored her, "You name it I probably lifted it, yeah.  
  
"I knew it! So anyway like all farm girls, you tried to make it big in the city of Tokyo with other "city-slickers" but the next thing you know you're running around with bandages with a DOATEC jacket." The bubbly blonde girl kept going, throwing in two beef noodle cups into a small microwave, muttering to herself about trying to find some *real* food. "That reminds me…how did you get one of those jackets anyway?"  
  
"It's a long story." Aoi responded hastily, which made Roxy blink from her suddenness. "Oh…so is that um…?" Unsure if she should say it, the blonde just gestured a line going up and down on her shirt. Aoi knew she was talking about the scar, silently she sat down on the couch and stared at it a "Yah…you can say that as well" Aoi voice became colder. Roxy got the message not to really go into that. The sound of the microwave beeping broke the odd silence in the room, Roxy sighed in relief and got out the cups, walking over to a seat next to the other girl.  
  
"Hey…sorry if I'm bugging you with all the questions." She apologized, passing a beef noodle cup and sticks over to Aoi. "It's alright…if it was the same situation I would be asking too." She carefully opened up the steaming lid, smiling lightly from how good the instant food smelled, heck anything was cuisine when you haven't eaten for days.  
  
"So where you going to go after you feel like leaving" Roxy asked, stirring her food slowly. Aoi went quiet again, sighing deeply. "I really don't have anywhere to go…got kicked out of my old place a while ago, and going back home is definitely not an option." Roxy slurped some noodles into her mouth, thinking to herself as she chewed. "Well…why not hang here?" she asked.  
  
"I don't want to be in the way…"  
  
"No way you'll be in the way!" Roxy stood up, looking at Aoi. She had a very bright and cheery glint in her eyes. "It would so kick ass if you hanged here with me Aoi. I haven't really made a lot of friends since I most of them went off into colleges, and I'm barley getting by in this dump and the job I have…"  
  
"So your saying…we should be?"  
  
"ROOMMATES!" Roxy yelled happily, hopping on the small table in between the old sofa and television. Aoi was taken a bit surprised from the blonde girls' spunk and nearly choked on her noodles. "I could find you a job in no time as well! Finally I won't have to keep borrowing beef noodle cups from the old couple a few doors down!" Aoi laughed again, putting down the instant food so she could think. A girl hanging with a cheery college flunky…It was better then what she was before.  
  
"I Surrender." She admitted, looking up at the wiry Roxy striking poses on the table. "Being roommates sounds fun, If your serious about finding me a job so I can pull their weight…then I'm in."  
  
"Alright!" Roxy clenched her fist and jumped down the table, grinning with a glint of triumph. "I'll get right on it as soon as I can, you can trust Roxy on this!" Aoi gave a blank face a second she said her name…what a rather odd name she thought.  
  
"A-all right, thanks for helping me out like this…"LRRossie…" she slurred out at the end.  
  
"…No its…Roxy."  
  
"RAW-Ksy?" Aoi strained to pronounce clearly.  
  
"rox-y"  
  
"Roooo-sky"  
  
"…"  
  
"Lro-OW!" Aoi squealed surprisingly, sticking out her tongue quickly. "Bite my tongue…" Roxy gave her new roommate a rather odd looking, before just giggling her bandana off as she held her stomach. "God why cant anybody say it right!? Wish I had a cool Japanese name instead of the one my dad gave me…" Aoi smiled and apologized for the whole pronunciation thing, before picking up her cup to finish it. "You sound just like my mom…the way she tries to yell it is just too much!" Roxy was able to spill out during laughs. "Usually she just calls me Ro-Chan…kind of weird."  
  
"Ro-Chan? That's cute." Aoi said, slurping more from her food. "It's a lot easier too…"  
  
"Ayane?" Hayate had finally come back from the dojo, opening up the door slowly into her room. She must of still be in the forest looking for Toya's squad, which was still missing in action since their routine sweeps last night. The ninja leader had seem to become his old self since his half- sister gave him the reassuring talk, and she wanted to give her the ninja- to he gave to his late sister Kasumi when she became a true ninja. He always thought it was cute how Ayane always wanted to beat Kasumi in something or another, and she always seemed so interested in the blade, so he decided it be better if she had it then him just brooding over it. "Now lets try to keep it a surprise…" he thought, his first idea was to put it under her bed covers. As he walked over to it Hayate stumbled awkwardly, nearly falling over if it wasn't for his balance. "Gah! Stupid planks…" he muttered, pulling his leg out of the hole he accidentally created. "…?" Hayate was struck rather odd that his hole wasn't really ripped into the ground, as if that plank was fit perfectly there. He picked up the plank and looked down to the hole, noticing a small book in it. The ninja leader reached down and grabbed it, blowing off the dust.  
  
"What would a book be doing in here?" he asked, simply breezing through a few pages until he saw writing. It was in a very dark purple ink. "This is Ayane's writing" he whispered, scanning one page to another, finding the recent one.  
  
Dear Diary…I finally faced my fears and done it…I destroyed…  
  
Hayate went breathless…..  
  
To Be Continued 


	5. Ghosts

Ooooh, the controversy! ^_^!  
  
-Dear diary: I finally done it, I've faced my fears and destroyed the disgusting puppet of my father they called "Omega" I know it wasn't my job to do, but Hayate had no clue how him killing Genra meant to me. I love my brother and everything…but this was a personal affair I couldn't let him bother in.-  
  
Thump!  
  
Thump!  
  
Crack!  
  
Hayate's deadly fists kept crashing into the sturdy oak tree repeatedly…ignoring the broken shards flying off each punch and his own bleeding hands. All this time she acted so dependable, so caring of his problems…only to find out it was HER who killed Omega behind his back. He had ordered her to stay away from his duty, and now to act of defiance and act innocent of it? Hayate growled harshly as he thrusted his left fist into the tree, only remembering the next paragraph:  
  
-Besides, he had other things to do, like getting rid of that annoying wretch Kasumi. I was a little surprised that he would actually go through with it! In a way I'm a bit sad about the death of my sister…sad that I wasn't holding that blade. Heh Heh. But then lets that keep that our secret, besides she holding Hayate back, he only needs me and that's the way I enjoy it. Remember our little secret. Bye diary. *Ayane*-  
  
This was all like a sick nightmare coming true. Hayate punched away at his anger dramatically from discovering the terrible truth from Ayane's diary. To find out Ayane was a closet sociopath was one thing, but to admit that she could care less about her own flesh and blood!? His sister Kasumi!? "What…what is my only option now?" Hayate thought, the punches that shook the tree crazily began to decline in speed. "I was already forced to kill one sister…do I have the hear to banish the other! What the hell!?" Hayate roared out, falling over onto one knee, pounding pathetically at the broken trunk. "Why must I be the one to make these decisions? Is my duty as a leader worth any of this…?" he sobbed onto his arm, becoming motionless at his sudden change of emotion. The ninja leader said nothing for a couple of seconds, just hearing all the leaves from the tree fall gently onto the dirt. His wet brown eyes slowly opened, as he felt something fall onto his arm. It was just a sakura(cherry blossom) petal…  
  
But…it was summer. Sakura petals are only around during the spring. Hayate stared at the pink flower questionably, suddenly he heard something faintly familiar from his left side.  
  
A giggle…  
  
Hayate stood up, drying his tears with his arm as he turned to the sound. He gasped quietly, noticing light pink material float away at the last second, turning around the hill on the road to his dojo. Unsure of what to make of this, the ninja leader walked cautiously to the turn, only catching another glimpse of the clothing and another faint laughing. Hayate stared oddly, picking up the sakura petal on the floor and following the pink clothing again.  
  
"Hayate-san…" the giggling became a soothing, yet eerie voice. Hayate couldn't make any sense of it. Turning the corner again to just find nothing but a few more petals. It was as if a ghost was teasing him…giving him some sort of sign.  
  
"Hayate-san…I've missed you."  
  
Hayate became breathless. That voice…the voice he heard so many days ago. His body became hot and tightened in anxiousness. "W-wait! Please come back!" he yelled out, running down the path back to the village. As he followed the trail of sakura petals, the ninja leader sprinted back into the village, heading to the dojo near his house. He watched the pink clothing, now realizing it was a kimono enter inside, a long braid following behind it. "This cant be happening…" Hayate was trying to tell himself, it was some sort of weird dream. He walked towards the paper and slide it open and closing it behind him, finally catching up with this mystery girl. He was surprised that she wasn't even noticed by guards or other townspeople in that pink kimono.  
  
"Hello again…Hayate-san."  
  
It was the same voice he thought he would never hear again. "K…Ka" He started to choke, trembling at what he was telling to himself "a ghost". Hayate's ghost turned around, putting down the umbrella and looked at him happily. "N-no…" Hayate couldn't believe it, the wound, and the fall! But there she was in front of him, his face went pale from the surprise, his trembling hand inching towards the shoulder of the girl." K-Kasumi…"  
  
Kasumi happily grabbed his large palm with both her hands. He could feel how warm she was, this was not a dream. It was Kasumi, the one HE thought he killed, the one HE pushed down the mountain was standing in front of him. Instead of overbearing joy, or relief…he began to break down into sobs again, the guilt of what he did before began to eat at him worse then ever. "Kasumi…How did you? How can you?…I'm so sorry I." He couldn't complete one sentence, just staring at her brown innocent eyes thoughtlessly.  
  
"Ssssh…Lets try to forget that day, and enjoy this." Kasumi quietly whispered, inching closer to him and wrapping her arms around the back of his neck in a hug. Hayate body, once on-fire from anger, had become limp, holding tight only the waist of his thought to be dead sister tightly, not wanting to let go for anything. If they could only stay like this they thought…  
  
"This is bad news." Ayane kept repeating in the back of her mind, as she dashed from the forest down the trail back into the village. Toya and his squad were mutilated horribly by something, it was so bad even she had to turn away now and again. Unfortunately, Toya was the one who painful death couldn't be quick. His burnt body was still alive when Ayane found him in the burnt pile, and even then he could only whisper word by word to Ayane, before finally giving up and dying. "Hayate!..Hayate-Sensai!" The second-in command yelled, bolting to the screen door of the dojo. "Hayate! We have serious trouble here, something about an Intr--…!?" Once Ayane had entered and closed the screen, she went motionless, her news had slipped away from her slack-jawed mouth. It was Hayate…and, Kasumi!? Kasumi…hugging Her! Hayate?  
  
"…Hm?" Kasumi took her head off Hayate's shoulders and looked behind him, seeing a surprised, even scared Ayane. "Ayane-chan…big sisters back." She smiled, pulling away from her brother as she walked towards her little sister. Ayane couldn't move. Ayane couldn't even slap away the hand that was wrapping around her and giving her a hug.  
  
"A…a ghost? D-demon?" she finally spoke, which came out cracked and scared. "Don't be silly Ayane…" Kasumi whispered in her ear, before pulling away. "I came back to see you and big brother again." She added.  
  
The dark kunoichi began to panic, she looked once more at Kasumi then back to Hayate, her expressions easily asking hundreds of questions. "Why is she still alive!?" "Why did she come back!?" "Is she going to kills us!?" "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS?" she yelled at her brother in her head.  
  
Hayate stared at Ayane as well, which was actually a very cold, distant one. "L-lets…get you back home before someone sees you…" he stuttered, grabbing Kasumi's hand and walking her off into the next room. Ayane couldn't believe any of what just happened, falling onto her bottom in complete shock. "What the hell is going on…?" she inaudibly whispered to herself.  
  
"News at 10!"  
  
click  
  
"Try our shampoo!"  
  
click  
  
"Oh my god! You killed Kenny! You--"  
  
"Weird American television." Aoi yawned boringly in the apartment, channel surfing away through 80 channels of absolute nothing.  
  
"That's right…K' approved! Now buy it!"  
  
Ice cream sounded good right about now. But instead a ring on the telephone took the girls attention off the idiot box. She stood up, kicking away the junk in the path from the couch to the kitchen, grabbing onto the phone. "Hello? Aoi Minazuki speaking."  
  
"Aoi! Aoi I got your new job all lined up. The boss just wants to see you in person and ask a few quick questions." Roxy was on the other line yapping happily.  
  
"Roxy? It's like 11:30…is this a night job or something?"  
  
"Oooh you can say that." Roxy tried to avoid a straight answer. Aoi was already suspicious of the Japanese-Americans hijnx's. "Roxy…" She added annoyed.  
  
"Cmon just get over here and introduce yourself! I'll meet you at the street by Lucky Peach mall and drive you there."  
  
"Why don't you just come back and pick me up?"  
  
"Because for this job you're going to have get to get PLENTY of exercise! Anyway get over here and make sure you wear that guy's shirt! You keep stretching out mines in "THAT" area dangit! See ya!"  
  
"R-Roxy!?" the phone went dead on the other end. Aoi shrugged nonchalantly and put on the DOATEC jacket on the stool, zipping it up. "That little brat…what is she up to?" she thought, playing with her hair for a few moments before walking out and locking up.  
  
About 20 minutes later Aoi met up with Roxy and hopped in the rickety car, as it went down a number of dim lighted streets. "So where are we heading?" Aoi asked, looking at the time, which was 11:50pm. "Oh. To that new convention center their building around here." Roxy turned the corner and parked. "oh great, lifting stuff…cant complain" Aoi thought in her mind, stepping out the car. "Ah! The music is kinda loud for construction stuff don't you think?"  
  
"Construction?" Roxy looked at her puzzled, adjusting her bandanna. "Cmon hurry up!" She scampered from the car and down the sidewalk. Aoi followed up quickly, the pulsating music getting louder and the lights sparkled everywhere. When the brown haired girl finally reached where her roommate stopped, the scenery was much different then she first thought. Lots of people, teens and the like, cars and talking.  
  
"Roxy!? Are we at a party?" Aoi quickly asked again"  
  
"What's with all the questions, farm girl?" Roxy smiled dangerously, patting her on the shoulder. "Relax already."  
  
"Hey my blonde bomb Roxy!" A slim man, probably in his 20's came up and messed up Roxy's hair playfully. "Glad you made it! Oh is this the talent you're managing? Kinda scrawny if you ask me…"  
  
"Ah, shut up Kenji." Roxy yelled with a smile. "Well…anyway were gonna need you in the next ring in about 30 minutes, good luck to you both." He said before walking off off, toying with his earring.  
  
"Ring…Roxy for the last time WHAT'S going on!" the mysterious woman stared blankly around the vibrant scenery.  
  
"Aoi Minazuki…welcome to street fighting!" Roxy informed Aoi slyly.  
  
"STREET FIGHTING!?"  
  
To be continued. 


	6. Awaken

"Ro-Chan…" Aoi started to punch away at her gradually increasing frustration into her "manager's" open palms. "How can you…just put me into a human ring of people…to be in a street fight without telling me!?"  
  
"I didn't think you mind!"  
  
"You didn't think I mind being thrown into a fight with a complete stranger for cash!? You could at least give me a heads up to train or something…"  
  
"I did help train you this week!" Roxy said, breathing through her teeth from the stings her hands were taking by Aoi's punches. "What do you think I rented all those fighting games for?" Aoi stopped, looked the blonde girl right in the eyes and reluctant smile, and sighed depressingly. "You have to be kidding me." She punctuated her last comment with a swifter punch, before turning around and gazing at the huge street party. Roxy blew on her palms a little before standing next to Aoi's side again. "Aoi…You have real talent you know?" she dug her hands into her baggy pockets and rocked back and forth on the heel of her tennis shoes. "That wasn't any kind of talent, Ro-Chan." Aoi said sharply, as she walked down from the hill and towards the growing ring of teenagers. "It was just…anger."  
  
"And it's still pent up inside you Aoi. You can blast away anyone that stood in your way if you just give it all you got!" Roxy hopped down the dirt hill following her roommate. "Those were just old moves from a fighting style I'd rather forget…" Aoi confessed, stopping a few feet from the masses. "My whole body starts to go numb when I think about…"  
  
"Your past?" Roxy butted in accidentally "Aoi, I'm not sure what happened to you before I met you, but it seems to me that you feel like you want to break free from it." Aoi was a bit surprised how…wise Roxy was beginning to sound, as she gently curled and uncurled her fists. "So since we've been helping each other out lately, I'm gonna help you get back that fighting spirit you had when you saved me! Besides…if you don't bring back any cash, we're going to starve for about a week." She confessed with a rather lopsided smile on her face.  
  
"You're kidding me? You spent the rest of the money you had on getting me here?"  
  
"All of it."  
  
"You trust me that much huh?" Aoi's grim attitude was beginning to light up some.  
  
"You bet!" the American-Japanese girl chirped, psyching up Aoi by shaking her shoulders. "Look at this place. It's a circus! And you're the ring leader Aoi; I've heard that you're the only girl that's gone into this circuit since five years ago! And they never gone in there and held her own. Its show time now, farm-girl!"  
  
"So am I doing this for the girls…or for the money?" Aoi asked as she made her path to the inside of the circle.  
  
"Well…for the money, duh! We ran out of beef noodle cups." Roxy was answered bye a subtle rap on the head. "Ow!"  
  
Aoi giggled before hopping over the fence. "You dork. Wish me luck!" Were her final words before hopping into the pit.  
  
"You kick every one of their asses Aoi!" Roxy yelled out, cheering her on. The crowd soon got behind the newcomer as well, that and the current winner had come back, looking stronger then before.  
  
"Well look at this. You've come for an autograph or ask me for a date little girl?" The built street thug, pulled back on his white gloves as he sneered back at the girl at the other corner."  
  
"Don't underestimate me." Aoi simply answered, throwing off her jacket. The pre fight talking got the crowd going into a frenzy of cheers. Slowly it started, but the unanimous yelling became to manifest words. "fight…fight…FIGHT…FIGHT!!"  
  
"No more talk…lets just see what you can do, new girl!" the man roared out, crouching back, then full out sprinting towards Aoi. Aoi balled up her fists, gathering up all her anger and energy, staring down the charging man confidently, almost locked on to what she hated more then ever. Those red, deceptive eyes.  
  
"Don't think your going to beat me so EASILY!!"  
  
The Mugen-Tenshin headquarters was rarely seen at night without any guards. All of them went home for the night, issued by the leader Hayate himself.  
  
"Kasumi…" Hayate started, sitting his thought to be sister onto a mat. Kasumi picked up the cup of tea and sipped before beginning. "You want to know what happened since Tao, right brother?" She asked, correct as she usually was. Hayate nodded again, as he watched her. "Or maybe, why I came back? Well I did survive the attack and the fall down the mountain." She stopped to take another sip, a concern look in her eyes as she watched Hayate silently curse himself. "Hayate, don't be ashamed of what you did. It was your duty to do what you had to do." She tried to comfort the ninja leader, moving her mat, and herself an inch closer to him. "I was real scared for a while there Hayate, You seem so cold, so jaded. But like I said, I understand the situation I put you in." Hayate looked up at her brown eyes, almost drowning in their innocence and sympathy. "But you lived…why did you come back?" Hayate had to ask.  
  
"Well…that's when I came too a few hours later, You, Hayate, leader of the Mugen-Tenshin ninja clan have successfully silenced the runaway shinobi Kasumi." Hayate didn't quite follow what she meant. "Kasumi…?" His sister giggled as she stood up and poked her index finger onto his forehead. "The search is over. You've killed the runaway, and the Mugen- Tenshin village is at peace again. Nobody else knows that I've survived between you, me, and Ayane." She began to explain. "We…can live a somewhat normal life again…we still have each other." Hayate sighed disapprovingly, sure it sounded like a good idea on paper, but the ninja leader has always been a shrew realist. "Its…pretty bold, What if someone finds out?"  
  
"No one will…"Kasumi played with Hayates' brown hair. Hayate went silent for a few moments, then stood up. "We'll…sort this out in the morning, first let's get you somewhere safe. Hayabusa has a cabin in the forest that's completely neutral of ninja territories. You stay put there and I'll come over with extra supplies." He walked outside the living room and down one of the many darkened hallways. For once today Hayate smiled, seeing Kasumi okay was bringing joy to his heart, and the idea wasn't all too impossible…  
  
"I can't believe you're being fooled like this." A sharp, spiteful voice echoed out in front of Hayate's direction. "Since when did we aide runaways in this clan? It must be just great for you to see Kasumi again, but Hayate get with the program!"  
  
"Ayane…" Hayate said with a cold tone. Ayane lifted from the wall she was leaning on and walked forward where Hayate could see her. "YOU are the leader of the clan, and SHE is the enemy. Why are you housing the ENEMY of this clan?"  
  
"Maybe I've been housing one before she arrived." Ayane's angry look turned into something of shock, taking a step back. "W-what do you mean?" Hayate dug slowly into his pockets, drawing a small book from it and tossing it to the floor. It was Ayane' diary. Ayane gasped in surprised, taking one more step. "B…brother…" She looked back at the book, and to his shoulder, not able to look him in the eye. "I was going to tell you…" Hayate suddenly grasped the neckline of Ayanes' clothes, stopping any other words from her mouth as she was nearly lifted off the floor by Hayates' strong grip.  
  
"Killing Genra behind my back after repeated warnings not to…holding murderous intents towards OUR sister! And lying about it in my FACE!" Hayate began to scold his youngest sister violently. "These are more then enough offenses to make anyone an enemy of this clan. Do you realize what I must do now!?" He yelled into her trembling face. Ayane never wanted to see Hayate mad, and it was probably the only thing that scared the dark kunoichi more then anything else. "Brother…please." Ayane's eyes went wide as she saw Hayate's hand cock back behind his head, and with a swipe he slapped her across her round face. Ayane gasped and shut up immediately, feeling the sting of shame Hayate's hand had giving on her cheek. She could admit she deserved it, not giving any sign of what emotional and mental chaos this was playing on her. Hayate slapping her could have been the most awful thing in her life now, and she couldn't help the small tear showing up in her eye. "I…I'm sorry Hayate." She tried to say strongly, but couldn't. This was the end, she was going to be alone again, and Kasumi had finally won.  
  
Hayate was silent as well, staring at her with his jaded eyes. After a few seconds went bye, he began to speak up. "We've…been giving a second chance, Ayane." His grip began to loosen, setting her back onto the floor. Ayane slowly opened her eyes questionably. "W-what?"  
  
"Kasumi is still alive…This is our second chance, to be a family again." The ninja leader's cold face was beginning to smile warmly. At that very instant his muscular arms grabbed Ayane around the waist and hugged her closely. The definitely surprised Ayane couldn't put her finger on what all this meant, but she began to feel at ease, likewise Hayate. "I…can excuse you for what you did to Genra, but please…don't do not bring any harm to Kasumi…don't hurt your big sister." He began to plead into her hair. "I don't want to be in a situation where I must lose any of the both of you ever again. Please promise me, Ayane!"  
  
"H-Hayate?"  
  
"Promise me please…" the ninja leader whispered into her ear. The dark kunoichi was motionless. "I promise, big brother." Hayate slowly put his head off her shoulders, which was damp with his tears of joy. "Thank you…" he quietly said, before walking off behind her. Ayane held her shoulder, then placed her hand on her still tender left cheek.  
  
She began to growl angrily. "Damnit…this all her fault." But she just remembered, she had to tell Hayate about Toya and the….wait a minute. "Could…could she be?" Ayane looked back into hallway that was lighted by the living room the controversial Kasumi was sitting peacefully in, with a dazed, questionably look on her face.  
  
"Seeyaaaah!" Aoi dodged the slow, hulking punch of the man in front of her, and retaliated with four blinding quick punches which sent her newest victim crippling onto the floor harshly. The enraged Aoi had been on a winning streak for nearly and hour, taking out competitors one by one. The whole crowd was ballistic on how some new girl came in and swept everyone out of HER ring. "Go Aoi go! Go Aoi go!" Roxy had gotten a better view of the fight, watching Aoi get prepared for the next fighter. The girl was in complete surprised on how stylish the browned haired Aoi was since she even stepped in. She went through five fighters easily within half an hour.  
  
"Take this!" Aoi ducked the last kick the newest fighter tried to hit her with. She planted her hands onto the ground, gaining a forward momentum and with a yell she exploded her feet forward into the challenger with a ferocious donkey-kick, blasting him into the chain fence where he came from. "Alright! That is my girl! Were totally making bank, Aoi! And to think you were nervous at first." Roxy yelled, only to get above the music and cheers, to Aoi.  
  
"Well…just had to get going a little bit that's all." Aoi confessed in modesty "Blah cut the modesty farm girl, YOU are kicking the crap out of these guys like its nothing!"  
  
"Ah shit…the cops!" Someone yelled out, running towards the circle. "Everyone get out!" The pulsating party was now becoming flooded in sirens and red and blue lights. The crowds began to roar out In panic as a huge scramble to escape began  
  
"Ro-Chan! What's going on?" Aoi took this sign as a good idea to jump over the fence and out of the circle. "Shoot. Cops are here to break up everything. Better get out of here fast.  
  
"But what about our money!?" Aoi asked.  
  
"Don't worry about it." The man toying with his earring walked from behind the two girls, completely unfazed by the scrambling. "Just find me in the morning and you'll get your pay." He spoke confidently.  
  
"Aren't you afraid that you'll be arrested, Mr. Kenji?" Aoi said, looking back at her jacket which was still in the ring, it was long gone now.  
  
"I have all sorts of connections, I'll be out in no time, now you two pretty things get out of here. But YOU, Aoi Minazuki, I will be happy to be doing business with you again." Kenji waved off the two beginning to run the opposite direction of all the police cars.  
  
"What…hah…did I…hah tell you Aoi? You're a natural for the night life." Roxy talked between pants, both were hiding between a wall, ready to sneak away to the back.  
  
"I fight complete strangers, get cheered on by crazy fans, AND get chased by the Police?" Aoi held onto her buckling knees as she breathed for air.  
  
"Cool beans…ain't It!?" The girl retied her bandanna on her head. "And just think of all the cash you made in one night! Talk about a debut." Aoi brushed her hair with her hand, feeling all those nasty split ends and knots. "Can we use some of that money to get me a hair brush? My hair is just awful." She started to walk out of the back exit. Roxy quickly followed her, since she knew the quickest way to get back to the car, she took lead. "Well sure we can! And we can finally buy some good food, not just beef noodle cups all the time! We'll just turn the whole mall upside down tomorrow." Roxy cheered positively some more. "The first thing were going to do is get you a new set of clothes…I mean you your clothes were just HANGING off you in there."  
  
"You're the one to talk miss baggy everything." Aoi said as she laughed. "Everything on you has to glitter or bounce!"  
  
"Not the way you were bouncing in there…you go through my bras like toilet paper."  
  
"Oh that's not my fault your chest looks like two aspirins on an ironing board, Ro-Chan." Roxy went slack jawed, then completely nuts when she said that. "Stop making fun of me for that you big dopey, cow-milking, farm girl!" she gasped suddenly as her neck taken by the taller girls arm, and was giving noogies. "Hey hey cut it out!"  
  
"You have a smart mouth on you, you know that?" Aoi said between her giggles again. This whole new experience was becoming wonderful for her. Completely no serious worries, free of the chains that bound her before. She felt…awaken as she walked down that street.  
  
To Be Continued. 


	7. Week

Whatever ride that Aoi had been on had come to a complete stop, into a brick wall. "Oh….ah my head…" She said groggily as she began to come too inside the dark apartment, a thin line of sunlight protruding through the blinders. Her head was a complete mess, and her mouth tasted like a bag full of cotton. "Ro-Chan…?" She called out in whisper. Roxy must have already gone to work she thought, moving her body so she was finally sitting up on the messy couch. Something wild must have gone in here…did they have people over? Who where they? And why is this phone sticking to my mouth? Wait a minute…  
  
"AH!" Aoi freaked out suddenly, she stared down at the dangling cordless phone, sticking onto her jaw by her own drool. "Just beautiful." She carefully peeled off the phone, looking at the green tinted information box for the time. "12:30 already?" She shrugged and threw the phone down onto the ground.  
  
"OW!!" a high pitched squeal came from the floor. Aoi screamed again in shock and nearly fell off the side of the couch. "R-Ro-Chan!?"  
  
"Who do you think it is....?" Roxy held her head as she came from the layers of boxes and clothes covering her, rubbing her head as she sat up next to the couch. "Heh heh…wow, Monday already?" Roxy rubbed the back of her neck, and scratched the top of her blonde hair. "Pretty fun week for us, I'll say."  
  
"Easy for you to say…"  
  
"I just said that." Roxy pointed out.  
  
"Shut up." Aoi groaned, rubbing her forehead in a daze. "I'm drawing a complete blank of everything before we got our money from Mr. Kenji. That and…brownies." Roxy scrambled slowly through all the junk on the floor, looking for her pair of socks. "Hey I remember that day! That began the whole trip."  
  
*Monday* 1:32 pm  
  
"We got paid! We got paid! We got paid!" Roxy cheered happily as she slid down the banister from the second floor. "Calm down already Ro-Chan. How much did we get again?"  
  
"4,000 ¥! (Yen) The odds were so stacked against you we really made bank! He also threw in 5,000 more for how cool you were."  
  
"So what shall we do with it?" Aoi asked as she sat into the passenger seat, waiting for Roxy. "Well let's see…we can invest it into future savings and blah blah blah blaaaah." Roxy joked in a high pitched nasal voice.  
  
"Well that's the reasonable answer…now what's the Ro-Chan answer?" Aoi giggled.  
  
"THE MALL!" The blonde girl yelled. "If you haven't noticed yet, Aoi…you're a savage. For winning all this cash I'm gonna get you some new threads!" Aoi wrinkled her nose annoyed, but it was true…3 days with the same clothes on was just hell.  
  
"So anything good in that pile of clothes I found!?" Roxy had to yell into the dressing room Aoi was occupying. They went to a trendy place called "Beatz" The clothing store Roxy usually got her CD's and clothes from.  
  
"Ro-Chan…" Aoi said angrily, walking out the dressing room with a school girl fuku, complete with loose socks and backpack. "What made you think I would like this!? I need casual clothes this to street parties, not an anime convention!"  
  
"Alright so that was a joke. But think of the cash Kenji would pay us when you kick." Roxy laughed as she rocked in the chair. She stopped suddenly catching the death glare from her roommate, before walking back in "Well there are plenty of clothes to choose from in there."  
  
"No…No…Ick…I hate purple!" Aoi murmured inside the dressing closet, throwing bits of clothes all which way. "How could this keep my…you-know- what's inside!? You'd think all these clothes were made by some pervert game designer." Aoi ruffled through the last layer, her brown eyes going wide at what she saw. "Oh…wow."  
  
"What…what did you find?" Roxy threw the bustier that came sailing over the closet off her head. Aoi walked out slowly, but confidently in a Team Ninja© black denim outfit. Aoi looked carefully at the long sleeved jacket and the pants, to the matching boots and the white and light blue finger-cut gloves. "How does it look?"  
  
"Ooooh, the trendy, dark angel look. I'm totally digging it on you, Aoi." The Japanese-American hopped up and circled Aoi, getting a closer look.  
  
"But…it's missing something." Aoi played with her brown hair as she looked at the front mirror. Roxy tried to figure out what her roommate needed to complete the outfit, looking down to the pile of clothes Aoi threw around. Like a beacon of light Roxy picked up a sole pair of sunglasses from Code Kunoichi©. "Catch!" Roxy flung them at Aoi, who grabbed them and quickly put them on.  
  
"…Now it feels complete." Aoi smiled staring at the "new" Aoi Minazuki. "Ring it up."  
  
Tuesday 12:30 am  
  
"Stay…still…and fight me!" Shinobu swung her rage-filled fists each way at Aoi inside the fighting circle. Aoi calmly avoided each punch and blocked the next kick as she danced around the gang member. "Tsk tsk tsk…What am I going to do with you Shinobu?" Aoi taunted her smugly. Shinobu growled, and threw a head level punch at the current winner in the ring, only to see her dodge it with a spin and…drop her guard?  
  
"What the hell!?" The thug scrunched up the sleeves on her jacket to her elbows as she watched Aoi stand right in front of her, hands snuck into her side pockets. Aoi grinned dangerously waiting for Shinobu to make a move. "C'mon I dare you!" She yelled at her with a laugh.  
  
"Don't mock me!" Shinobu roared and continued her assault. The crowd went crazy at each dodge and sidesteps Aoi preformed gracefully. "I'll tell your right now Shinobu…I'm going to win this with 5 attacks. No punches." Aoi claimed confidently.  
  
"This is gonna be the worse day of your life!" Aoi dug into her jacket and brought out her infamous chain, swinging it wildly around her head and whipping it Aoi. At the split second she ducked under the illegal object, and with the momentum she kicked her foot up into the air doing a vertical split and nailing the gang member straight in the jaw.  
  
"Aah!" Shinobu was sent reeling backwards, holding her face. "Oh by the way…I hope you didn't believe me when I said I wouldn't PUNCH!" With that Aoi threw her right hand out of her pocket and slammed it into the defenseless girls' stomach, then into her bruised jaw. The thud coughed violently being thrashed every which way. She screamed once and tried to swing the arm with the chain at it down on Aoi, but she was countered by the girl's variation of the one-inch punch, sending her flying back a few feet in pain.  
  
"And here's the last one!" Aoi charged at Shinobu with victory in her covered eyes. As Shinobu came out of her daze she was greeted with a tremendously vicious flip kick, cracking her in the face and launching her almost clear out of the human ring. When Aoi landed the whole area erupted in cheers. "Aoi! Aoi! Aoi!"  
  
"Thank you!" The once modest Aoi was just lapping up the applause and attention, waving her hands out to the crowd. To her next surprise a bouquet of flowers fell into her hands. She looked oddly at it then back to a crowd, seeing a rather handsome man wink at her. She tipped her sunglasses down to get a better look at the boy, smiling back somewhat bashful and quietly thanked him…  
  
Wednesday 10:18 Am  
  
"Ro-Chan how can you live in this mess?" Aoi's nose turned up somewhat as she waded around carefully.  
  
"One day at a time…besides more of it is yours then mines." Roxy said, glued to the small television and the couch.  
  
"Well not this time…were going to fix this place up!" The taller girl optimistically, throwing the broom to her roommate. "Let's get going!"  
  
And so they cleaned…..top to bottom and every corner and area they can find…  
  
….  
  
….for five minutes.  
  
"Hey Aoi…weren't we cleaning up the place?" Roxy was still in her seat, as if she didn't even move.  
  
"Hard work mad us quit." Aoi shrugged and changed the channel.  
  
"Oh yeah… want a soda?" The blonde girl reached over into a pile of clothes and food containers, and yanked out a root beer.  
  
Thursday…something, something.  
  
"……………………"  
  
"……………………………………….." The two girls just stared at each other blankly.  
  
"Aoi, are you drawing a complete blank on Thursday?" Roxy asked.  
  
"Yep. Hope it wasn't anything too stupid." Aoi held her head trying to relief that growing headache.  
  
Friday 10:48 pm  
  
"AND DON'T YOU SAY IT'S TRUE BECAUSE I KNOW YOOOOU!" Aoi howled into the microphone with all her passion…and half the talent.  
  
"….BUT IF YOU LOVE ME SAY IT BECAUSE IM FEELING BLUUUUUEEE!" Her tone death counter-part screamed into her microphone, following her lead. They were competing as a team in a karaoke contest in a club near the mall…and bombing tremendously.  
  
"Aoi we rock at this!" Roxy squealed.  
  
"Never had a lesson in my life either!" Aoi happily stated, preparing to sing another verse.  
  
"AND IM GONNA GET YOU, GET YOU, GET YOOOOUU BOY!!!!!" The squealed as a team, taking a funky pose.  
  
"Aaah, my ears!" One man yelled in pain, holding them in faked pain. The crowd inside the club began to show their appreciation for the duo…with throw able objects and cursing "AH YOU WOULDN'T KNOW GOOD TALENT IF IT BIT YOU IN THE ASS!" Roxy screamed at the booing crowd, and nearly getting hit with a bottle right after. Aoi ducked under other objects and grabbed Roxy's hand and pulled her to backstage. "Well…they just jealous." She huffed.  
  
Saturday 7:46 Am  
  
The two sat down on the couch to eat a microwave breakfast. Aoi munched quietly as Roxy drank some orange soda (It had to be as healthy as the juice, couldn't it?) As Aoi put down her fork her nose turned and she made a rather disgusted face.  
  
"You totally let one go didn't you?" Aoi pushed Roxy on the shoulder with a weird look on her face. "That's disgusting!"  
  
"What!? No way it was you! You farted!" Roxy pushed Aoi back, moving an inch away from her roommate.  
  
"You!"  
  
"You!"  
  
"Nuh uh it was you!"  
  
"It was totally you!"  
  
"All right now it's me"  
  
"Me too…  
  
Roxy and Aoi stared at each other for a second…and unable to keep their laughing contained anymore they broke into maniac laughs.  
  
Sunday 6:22 PM  
  
Roxy wasn't a complete bum. She had a package delivery job and the company was nice enough to use her junk car.  
  
"Wow…so this is your day job? Talk about interesting" Aoi sighed sarcastically, messing with the stereo to get a frequency. "Oh stop acting so cool." Roxy parked on the side of the road and grabbed the large brown box. "Anyway this is Kazuki's place…we met at cram school and we shared a few interests." She walked up to the door and rang the door bell. "Kazuki! He it's me Roxy!" Aoi walked up the door and put on her sunglasses. "How long is this going to take? There was something pretty good on television before we—"  
  
The door opened up and out came the person. "Hey there Roxy…" Aoi's eyes went wide as saucers as she came face to face with the man who was at the party Tuesday. His wild hair…his cute smile and eyes."  
  
"Oh, hello to you too Miss Aoi." Kazuki politely said. "Did you enjoy the flowers?"  
  
"Y-yes…" Aoi could barley utter anything, looking down to her shoes so he wouldn't see her blushing face. This was too weird, she never felt so nervous or tense around someone before.  
  
"Hey…You know Kazuki, Aoi?" Roxy handed Kazuki the box and walked inside, Aoi tagging along. "He's the guy who gave you flowers?"  
  
"Hah…I just had them on me at the time." Kazuki closed the door behind them. "You really have talent you know Miss. Minazuki, your style is very creative."  
  
"Oh..It's n-nothing really." Aoi's laughter was rather cracked as she walked inside…looking at Kazuki's eyes again…and falling over his dog clumsily. "EEK!"  
  
To Be Continued… 


	8. Fear

Oh Anji." Kazuki shooed the pesky dog away and helped the suddenly klutzy Aoi onto her feet. "Are you okay, Aoi?" Aoi rubbed the side of her head and fixing the crooked sunglasses straight over her eyes again. "Hah...um sure. Guess I didn't see him." She nearly giggled mindlessly, becoming fixated on the caring look of Kazuki. "That's good. I'll you two some ice tea's. You can wait in the living room or look around if you like." He said, as he walked into the next room. "Real slick there, Minazuki." Roxy hissed as she rolled her eyes at her roommate. "Impress a guy by falling over his dog." "Impress?" Aoi scoffed returning from her little dream world prematurely. "Who says I'm trying to impress Kazuki?" "Your sunglasses may cover your wondering eyes, but your cheeks tell the truth." Roxy poked Aoi on the side of her face, which was flushing red. Aoi quickly caught on and covered her cheeks with both hands, staring angrily at Roxy as she left into the living room. "I-I'm not blushing! It's just hot in here, that's all." "Whatever you say Aoi." Roxy snickered, plopping down on a sofa, making her self quite at home by fooling around with random things on Kazuki's coffee table. As Aoi walked down the hallway she finally noticed something.different about the house. It couldn't possibly be hot in the house with all the mist sprays soaking numerous types of plants and flowers. It was like half the room was a nursery, as she finally made it to where Roxy was sitting. "Ro-Chan." The taller girl had a very questionable look on her face, sniffing something odd. "Does it smell a little funny inside of here?" "Hehheh.just the stench of everyday gardening." Roxy chuckled, hopping off the couch and bouncing to one of the many vines around the area, taking in a good whiff. "Oooh I know what this is.." She started to giggle nonchalantly, which made Aoi greatly confused. "What.?" "Drinks coming up." Kazuki walked into the living room with two glasses of Ice Tea and placed them on the coffee table. "You have lots of nice plants here Kazuki.are you a botanist or something like that?" "You can say that." Kazuki replied politely. "It's more of a hobby then anything else." "Is the stuff in your basement, Kazuki?" Roxy said already heading down to that destination. "What stuff?" Aoi asked before taking a sip of her drink. "Some brownies Kazuki makes. There so awesome!" Roxy could be heard from the doorway as she bolted downstairs. "Hah. Real energetic isn't she?" Kazuki played with the band holding his ponytail as he watched Aoi put down her glass. "But I must admit I'd wish to learn a little more about her roommate, Miss Minazuki." "GCK!?" Aoi choked comically, playing it off like nothing happened. "M-me? .Oh there's nothing really worth knowing about me. Seriously." Kazuki's smile became wider as he placed his thumb along the mouth of the now incredibly blushing Aoi's face and cleaned off some of the Ice Tea that dribbled on her lip. "Mysterious women are always incredible to learn about." He put quite smoothly. "You had some ice tea on your chin, if you didn't mind." "N-not at all." Aoi said dazed, staring loftly into those dangerously pretty eyes again. "Got it got it got it!" Roxy bolted upstairs with a plate full of brownies under a clear wrapper. "I put the money on your worktable, Kazuki." Aoi stood up quickly, making sure her sunglasses were on straight and bolted to the door. "Thank you for the drink, Kazuki!" "Uh?" The confused guy blinked and waved them both off "Don't mention it Miss Minazuki." "Jeez Aoi why not just pull out his eyes and keep them, the way you were ogling them." Roxy snickered pulling out of the driveway. "Don't get any ideas; Ro-Chan It wasn't anything like that." Aoi came back with quickly, looking out the window. "He was just a very nice person. with pretty eyes." Roxy rolled her eyes again and picked up a couple photos she put in the ash tray and threw them on Aoi's lap. "Bet you'll find more to admire about the guy then his eyes." Roxy slyly said, giving Aoi a rather suggestive wink. Aoi blinked confusly and took a look at the pictures. ..Kazuki on the beach, with his shirt off, ...Kazuki tending to his plants.with his shirt off, .Kazuki coming out the pool without his swimming trun..oh my goodness. "RO-CHAN!? Where did you get these awful things?!" Said Aoi, who wasn't really making much of a hurry to get rid of them. "I told you already I hang with the guy, and I remembered these pictures I took a year ago and thought you'd want them." "You're a real sicko you know that?" "Sheesh you try to do something nice for a friend.." Roxy complained taking the next turn to get home. "So tell me why Kazuki's brownies are more special then the ones across the street?" Aoi finally asked back at the apartment, throwing off her sunglasses onto the coffee table. "Ohhh these are much better then any store's brownies." Roxy hopped on the couch and tore at the plastic covering quickly. "Let's just say one won't be enough when you eat them." "Humph." Aoi took one of square of the chocolate brownie and took a bite from it, chewing thoroughly and swallowing. "Hey.these are pretty good, can't really put my finger on this taste though." "It's a Se-c-ret," The blonde girl teased as she also dived in to get a square.  
  
[About 3 or 4 brownies later] "Whoa." Aoi coughed as she rubbed her oddly tired brown eyes. Was it just her, or was the room somewhat spinning around very slowly? She giggled again, trying to drink up her milk to wash away her last brownie. "Ro...rooo chan?" Her voice was very light hearted and cracked. "These brownies are great. but I'm still hungry!" Roxy was giggling and grinning dangerously ear to ear. "See. told you they were good." "Damn Aoi. your eyes." she forced back another laugh. "Are like major red!" "Seriously?" Aoi asked. "So are yours. like Godzilla red!" She made a fake roar and busted up laughing again. "Hahaha! Hey I think I have a tape somewhere." Roxy got off the couch. took one step, and fell on her face. "Ow! Hahaha." [8 to 10 brownies later]The phone rang at Kazuki's place about a minute to midnight. Drying his hair with a towel, he picked up the phone with his open hand. "Hello? Kazuki here." "Heeeey Kazuuki." The voice on the other line snickered. "Um.hello?" "You got such.ph! Such pretty eyes!" Another voice started to laugh insanely. "Shut up shut up He'll hear us!" "Err.Aoi? Is that you miss Minazuki?" Kazuki blinked confusly. "And god. Your stomach, just want to rub my hand all on it." The voice that could have been Aoi went into another fit of laughs, before stopping herself. "Gonna grab your butt too, its soooo CUTE!" "Oh my god! You said his butt was cute!" The second voice yelled again in a howl of laughter. "Miss Minazuki, are you feeling alright?" Kazuki couldn't quite understand her behavior.this would be Roxy's thing to act weird. "Are you still there?" "ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz..." Is all he got on the line. He shrugged it off thinking that maybe it was just a prank call and hanged up.  
  
*Today* "This has to be a joke. You got me HIGH!?" Aoi was shaking the crap out of the still sleepy blonde girl with frustration. "It was in the brownies!?" "ah ah aaah! C'mon let me go Aoi!" Roxy pleaded as she broke away from her grip. "Kind of funny when you think about it. Eating the brownie, getting the munchies. and eating more pot brownies." She could very well laugh this off.if only Aoi wasn't around. "Gah. all the stuff I said to Kazuki." The brown haired girl shook her head embarrassingly. "Well. it was a pretty interesting week." "You said it." Roxy checked her watched for the time. "Oh crap.I'm gonna be so late!" she began to panic, as she ran into the bathroom to freshen up. "God how am I gonna apologize to Kazuki for this one.?" Aoi rolled off the couch and stretched her arms out with a yawn. "You want a ride over to Kazuki's place?" Roxy asked in the other room. "No thanks.I'm gonna need some fresh air." Aoi replied, brushing her hair before it was her turn in the bathroom.  
  
Even though she missed half the whole day, Outside that dark apartment, the city was very much awake and beautiful to Aoi. "Gah.what am I going to say to him?" She thought as she pressed the crosswalk button to the side of her. The whole fiasco was giving her one hell of a headache, as she adjusted her sunglasses and began to walk forward. Boom. Aoi heard something like a blast, as she looked to her left "What the hell?" There it was, screaming down the road at what could be light speed. The tremendous roar of the machine coming her way would stop anyone. It wasn't just a racecar, black and sleek, it seemed that nightfall was charging at her down the street to kill her. "AAAAH!" Just seconds away from certain doom, Aoi's common sense kicked in as she jumped backwards, feeling the raw power the car was pumping back. Before she fell on her back completely, her eyes were fixed on the driver, who was staring back at her. It was like slow motion, as crimson eyes burned into her. But those crimson eyes. Were. "Oh. Oh my God." Before she could finish, the completely shocked Aoi was on her back, and the car had sped away on the street like a runway. She sat up, shaking, not because of the car, but another fear, like a dark presence had gone through her. "I thought you said you were going to be more careful with Little Ninja" The person sitting in the passenger seat said, as he flipped a page in his book. "Kind of had my concentration broken. Sorry about that, Brother." "What happened?" "I thought I just saw someone.familiar." The girl shifted gears as she pondered turning a couple corners. "Which side is Hayabusa's curio shop on again?"  
  
To be continued.  
  
Authors note: PLEASE forgive me for being so lazy.-__- before I could finish the chapter I had finals then summer school -_- so please forgive me for being so late with this chapter, I swear I'll be at normal speed now since I have more free time! 


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